N1 Slovenia journalist Staš Zgonik received the Slovene Association of Journalists Award for Outstanding Journalism Achievements this past year. The Čuvaj/Watchdog 2024 award was given to him for his investigative piece in the “In-Depth” section, where he exposed questionable practices in advertising dietary supplements.

Slovene Association of Journalists (DNS) recognized Staš Zgonik’s dossier on misleading advertisements for dietary supplements as an outstanding journalistic achievement in Slovenia last year and awarded him for it. In the piece, Zgonik systematically uncovered controversial practices in this area and pointed out that the state was not doing everything it could. After he published his articles, state institutions announced changes several months later.

Staš Zgonik, upon receiving the DNS award for N1, said, “I am glad that my work has been recognized and that it has prompted some reflection at the state level. In modern society, where we are constantly sold things we don’t need and are often turned into patients so that we can be offered medicine,’ this small victory in dietary supplement advertising seems like an important achievement. However, I am not delusional. The fight against the flood of misleading promises in the connected world is impossible to win. I hope that we can at least provide better protection for the elderly, who often live on modest pensions and are the primary targets of skilled marketers promoting dubious health products.”

In its justification for the award to Staš Zgonik, the Slovene Association of Journalists wrote: “Through his investigative journalism on how dietary supplements are advertised and sold in Slovenia, he exposed a shameless business model: profits far exceed the fines imposed, so it pays off for companies to deceive people, even when it comes to their health. He detailed the deceptive methods, including the involvement of a doctor and a university for financial gain, and highlighted the ineffectiveness of the relevant inspection authorities. He pointed out that media outlets, including public media service RTV Slovenia, ultimately support this business model through the publication of advertisements, which directly contradicts the basic journalistic mission of the media.